After 31 days on the ice cap, Harald and Andre have completed their expedition. But not before some interesting experiences on the Western side of the ice cap. The transition from ice sheet to glacier to mountain comes with caution in navigating the glacier’s crevaces and the many snow lakes.

Listen below to the last few days of the journey, as well as some very nice final thoughts from Harald after they arrived at Kangerlussuaq, the small town and former air base on the Western side of Greenland.

Over the past few days, Harald and Andre have reached DYE 2, a former distant early warnig radar station operated by the US during the cold war (built in 1960, closed 1988). Therfore they have made about two-thirds into their trek across the Greenland ice cap. Next to DYE 2 is Camp Raven, manned by a few individuals and used by the New York Air National Guard for training. I found a video on the Internet (not from Harald) that shows the camp and airplanes used during the training.

It seems that Camp Raven was a nice reprieve for the team, as they were able to interact and relax, briefly with people from some other expeditions and Lou and Mark, who manage the station.

In one podcast below, Harald also talks about missing some good homemade German food. I don’t blame him.

Also, they’ve benefited from strong tailwinds allowing them to use the snow kites. I’m including another picture here taken during a training expedition earlier this year to give you an idea of the kites.

Finally, listen here to the latest podcasts. Harald is covering a lot of ground and is now coming into different terrain (lakes and, soon, deep crevices).

On May 8, Harald and Andre reached the summit of the Greenland Ice Sheet. After a few days traveling on a plateau at the summit, they’ve begun to travel downhill. And judging by the map, they have been able to make more progress each day.

1. Go for both poles
We didn’t manage to even reach the South Pole the first time. But we never lowered our goal. Our final success was so much greater in the face of it.

2. Seek out the winners
We wouldn’t have made it without the aid of polar veterans, and they in turn learned from veterans before them. Every true success is a mankind joint venture.

3. Don’t cut food and fuel
In the short run, dropping food and fuel increased our speed. In the long run, it killed our expedition. Don’t undercut your survival.

4. Face the storm
Hiding out in a tent waiting for the sunny days steals crucial time. A storm always looks the worst from inside the tent. Face the storm.

5. Get out each morning
Get out there, every single day. There are so many reasons not to: Repairs badly needed, fog and whiteout. The winner moves when the others rest.

6. Keep moving
In temperatures of -50C, we wore only thin layers of clothing. In this situation, to stop was to die. When times are rough and you are the underdog, keep running.

7. Don’t think
Skiing thin ice commands swift and determined steps. Too much doubt in times of pressure kills the power of action. Don’t think, just go.

8. Be brutal
If you want to reach the impossible then you must continue where others stop. Tear down walls with your bare hands, crawl on your knees. But never stop.

9. Say only positive things to each other
We asked Polar veterans for their single, most important advice. Out of their advice, one turned the most important to us: “Say only positive things to each other.

10. You don’t have to believe to win
Faced with the facts, we could not believe in our success. Yet it arrived. You don’t have to believe in success. Just do the right things. And go.

It seems the storm subsided (though still windy) allowing the team to move forward. Listen to Harald’s report, as we details a typical daily routine. (sneak peak: it involves a LOT of walking, and a LOT of melting snow for water).

Also, based on a suggestion left in the comments of a prior blog post, I’ve added the final destination point – Kangerlussuaq on the West Coast of Greenland – on the Google Map. I’ve zoomed out so you can see the full route. There’s still a lot of ground to cover.